ESSENTIAL BEATLES LISTENING, EARLY 1969-EARLY 1970:

Transcription

1 THE BEATLES OLLI Dominican Week Seven ESSENTIAL BEATLES LISTENING, EARLY 1969-EARLY 1970: 1. Let It Be...Naked (EMI, 2003). In a strange turn of events bound to cause eternal confusion, although Let It Be was issued as the Beatles' final album in spring 1970, most (though not all) of it was actually recorded in early 1969, before the material for the 1969 album Abbey Road. To muddle the picture more, production work in early 1970 on the Let It Be album changed the sound of the record from what had originally been intended. Let It Be...Naked, issued in 2003, has production of Let It Be material that is much more in line with the album as originally envisioned, though no posthumous production job could completely replicate how it might have sounded had it appeared in early 1969 as originally planned. Though these sessions (mostly cut in January 1969) found the Beatles less inspired and more erratic than usual, they did include some outstanding songs, usually in a yet more back-to-basics mode than they'd employed on The White Album. Key tracks: "Get Back," the outstanding Paul McCartney rocker that was a spring 1969 hit single; its B-side "Don't Let Me Down," one of John Lennon's most powerful ballads; "Let It Be," one of Paul's finest ballads and lyrics; "Two of Us," one of the final songs on which John and Paul seemed in both musical and personal harmony; "Across the Universe," a gently philosophical Lennon song actually first recorded in early 1968; and "The Long and Winding Road," the McCartney ballad heard here without the overdubbed strings to which he'd later strenuously object. 2. Abbey Road (EMI, the Beatles' eleventh album, 1969). Considering how troubled the January 1969 sessions that would eventually supply the bulk of Let It Be were, it was something of a miracle that Abbey Road, recorded later and issued in September, was a perfect finale to the Beatles' career. Or, it would have been a perfect finale had it been the last album they released, but Let It Be would follow it, and the Beatles hadn't yet split when Abbey Road appeared. Technicalities aside, it showed the Beatles continuing to progress in the sophistication of their arrangements, vocal harmonies, instrumental virtuosity (particularly Paul's bass), and songwriting (especially in the ingenious combination of fragments into a medley lasting for nearly all of side two). In addition, this was the album on which George Harrison finally became the equal of John Lennon and Paul McCartney as a songwriter, composing the record's most popular songs, "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun." Key tracks: "Come Together," one of Lennon's grittiest rockers; "Something," hailed by everyone from George Martin to Frank Sinatra as one of the greatest love songs of all time; "Here Comes the Sun," Harrison's most uplifting and joyous tune; and the nearly uninterrupted medley that occupies most of the second side (on the original LP vinyl edition). 3. Let It Be (EMI, the Beatles' twelfth album, 1970). The differences between this and the revised version from 2003, Let It Be...Naked, aren't enormous; they feature most of the

2 same songs. Let It Be itself is listed in a different syllabus than Let It Be...Naked because it was actually released in 1970 right after the Beatles broke up, and because its production is different, especially on songs on which producer Phil Spector overlaid orchestration. Opinions differ as to whether the Spector-ized version is better or not, but it certainly was different than what the Beatles had in mind when they assembled in January 1969 to record an album with as much of a "live" feel as possible. Key tracks: "Let It Be," one of Paul McCartney's most graceful and spiritual songs; "Get Back," heard here in a different version than the one on the hit single; "Two of Us," whose folkrock arrangement and close harmonies echoed the Beatles' earlier, more personally harmonious eras; and "Across the Universe," showing John Lennon's more tender cosmic side. 4. From Past Masters Vol. 2 (EMI): The "Get Back"/"Don't Let Me Down" single, with slightly different mixes than these tracks have on the albums on which they're included. The 1969 single "The Ballad of John and Yoko," Lennon's travelogue of his wedding, and its relatively obscure George Harrison-written B-side "Old Brown Shoe"; the original version of "Across the Universe" (first released on a various-artists compilation charity album), much less ornately produced than the Let It Be album track. RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS BY THE BEATLES, EARLY 1969-EARLY 1970: 1. From Anthology Vol. 3 (EMI): Tracks feature some Abbey Road outtakes and alternate versions, as well as an unvarnished version of "I Me Mine" from the Beatles' last recording session (without John Lennon) in early Key tracks: George Harrison's solo demo of "Something," with slightly different lyrics; Paul McCartney's solo demo of "Come and Get It," which was replicated almost exactly on Badfinger's first single. 2. Plastic Ono Band, Live Peace in Toronto (Apple, 1969). Not exactly John Lennon's debut solo album, but this did document his first official concert outside of the Beatles, fronting a band at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival on September 13, Side one of the original LP was the only one most listeners played, featuring Lennon on raw rock'n'roll oldies, "Yer Blues," "Give Peace a Chance," and the first airing of "Cold Turkey." Side two presented a lengthy avant-garde improvisation featuring Yoko Ono. The 1969 single versions of "Cold Turkey" and "Give Peace a Chance," and the 1970 single "Instant Karma," are on the Lennon compilation Power to the People: The Hits. RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL READING (IN ADDITION TO SECTIONS ON THE BEATLES FROM EARLY 1969-EARLY ON GENERAL READING LIST): 1. You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup, by Peter Doggett (Harper, 2010). The best, most detailed look at the complicated business, financial, legal, and personal forces that broke the Beatles up, and have continually made the settlement of their differences difficult in the ensuing decades.

3 2. Apple to the Core, by Peter McCabe and Robert D. Schonfeld (Pocket Books, 1972). Though not as good or thorough as You Never Give Me Your Money, this look at the turmoil surrounding Apple and the breakup of the Beatles has the advantage of containing some first-hand material with some of the principals, including Allen Klein, John Lennon, and John Eastman. It's a decent overview of how and why the Beatles broke up, although it's much heavier on the business/management side of things than the musical/artistic one, and some of the facts have been expanded upon/corrected by subsequent research. 3. Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970, by David Browne (Da Capo Press, 2011). Weaves together the breakup of the Beatles with three other major stories in 1970 rock music (the ascendance of James Taylor and the breakups of Simon & Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), using the changing mood of the times as the 1960s ended as backdrop. 4. Allen Klein: The Man Who Bailed Out the Beatles, Made the Stones, and Transformed Rock & Roll, by Fred Goodman (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015). As business manager of both the Rolling Stones and the Beatles in the late 1960s and early 1970s (as well as numerous other British rock acts), Allen Klein played a controversial role in their careers. Although he gained unprecedented concessions from record companies for his artists, he also sowed some discord within the Beatles and Rolling Stones through both his personal style and his financial practices. The legalities of his contractual relationships with his clients aren t all that easy to wade through if you don t have a head for that sort of thing. But this book lays them out for the layperson with about as much accessibility as can be attained, combining the business analysis with plenty of stories about the colorful manager s abrasive style and relationships with the celebrated rockers he represented. RECOMMENDED DVDS/VIDEOS: 1. The Beatles Anthology 7 & 8 (Apple, 2003). Most of episode 8, the final episode of The Beatles Anthology, covers the Beatles' career from early 1969 (including the tensions that almost broke them up during the January 1969 Get Back/Let It Be sessions) to their breakup. Like all of the Anthology volumes, it includes extensive interviews with McCartney, Harrison, and Starr; archive audio clip interviews of Lennon; and a wealth of vintage performance and interview footage. This part of Anthology seems rather incomplete and rushed, pretty much stopping at the end of the Abbey Road sessions and avoiding the protracted problems that led to their split in spring That period is detailed much more extensively in the book accompanying the Anthology documentary, The Beatles Anthology. 2. Sweet Toronto: Keep on Rockin' (Pioneer, 2002). Straightforward film documentary of the Plastic Ono Band's live performance at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival on September 13, 1969, which marked John Lennon's first official concert appearance outside of the Beatles.

4 NOTABLE PEOPLE: Allen Klein: New York accountant who moved into music management with Sam Cooke and numerous British Invasion acts, including the Rolling Stones. Assumed management for John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr shortly after meeting John and Yoko in London in January Paul McCartney's decision not to enter a management deal with Klein caused great tension within the group, and eventually was a major factor in their split. Lee Eastman: New York attorney and Paul McCartney's father-in-law, proposed by Paul as a possible option for managing the Beatles' business affairs. Briefly worked with the Beatles as a whole, but ended up managing only McCartney's affairs. John Eastman: New York lawyer; son of Lee Eastman, and Paul's brother-in-law. Also involved with his father in vying for management of Beatles, and subsequently in management of McCartney's affairs. Represented Paul when McCartney sued to dissolve the Beatles' partnership at the end of Peter Sellers: Famous British comedian who co-starred with Ringo Starr in the first movie in which Starr had a starring role outside of the Beatles, 1969's The Magic Christian. Bernie Krause: Demonstrated the Moog synthesizer to George Harrison in late 1968; controversially, some of these recordings were used on Harrison's May 1969 experimental solo album Electronic Sound. The Moog was subsequently used on several Abbey Road tracks. Timothy Leary: Participated in the June 1, 1969 recording of Plastic Ono Band's "Give Peace a Chance" at John and Yoko's Bed-In for peace in Montreal. The slogan Leary used in his campaign for California governor, "Come together, join the party," helped inspire the Beatles song "Come Together." Iain Macmillan: Photographed the famous cover of the Beatles walking across the crosswalk on Abbey Road. Alan White: Drummer who, with John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, and Klaus Voormann, formed the first version of Plastic Ono Band for their performance at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival on September 13, Later drummed in Yes, and on Lennon's "Instant Karma" single in early Russ Gibb: Detroit radio DJ who did more than any other media figure to help start and spread the rumor of Paul McCartney's death in the fall of 1969.

5 Badfinger: Apple Records' biggest stars other than the Beatles, and one of the most Beatles-influenced successful groups of any sort. Paul McCartney helped them get started by producing some of their early work, including a hit song he wrote and demoed for them, "Come and Get It." Delaney and Bonnie: American soul-rock duo of the then-married couple Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett, in whose band George Harrison played (as did Eric Clapton) when they toured Europe in late Some members of Delaney & Bonnie's band would back Eric Clapton shortly afterward as part of Derek & the Dominos. Phil Spector: Famous American producer, noted for devising heavily layered "Wall of Sound" arrangements on early-to-mid-1960s hits by the Ronettes, Crystals, Righteous Brothers, Ike & Tina Turner, and others. Brought in to do post-production work on the Let It Be album in early 1970, controversially adding strings and a choir to "The Long and Winding Road." Also produced solo records by John Lennon and George Harrison in the early 1970s. NOTABLE LANDMARKS: Dorchester Hotel: London hotel where Allen Klein first met formally with John Lennon and Yoko Ono in January British Consulate, Gibraltar: Site of the marriage of John and Yoko, March 20, Amsterdam Hilton: Site of John and Yoko's first bed-in for peace in the last week of March Montreal Queen Elizabeth Hotel: Site of John and Yoko's second bed-in for peace (at which "Give Peace a Chance" was recorded) in late May and early June of Abbey Road Zebra Crossing: Street crossing just outside Abbey Road studios, where the Beatles were photographed walking for the cover of Abbey Road on August 8, 1969 Tittenhurst Park: Home of John and Yoko for two years near London in Sunningdale, starting in summer The Beatles' last photo session (one shot of which was used on the cover of the 1970 US Beatles compilation album Hey Jude) took place here on August 22, 1969 Varsity Stadium, University of Toronto: Site of John Lennon's first official concert appearance outside of the Beatles when Plastic Ono Band played here as part of the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival, September 13, Campbeltown, Scotland: Site of Paul McCartney's Scottish farm, to which he retreated shortly after Abbey Road, staying there in seclusion for much of the rest of 1969 while "Paul Is Dead" rumors mushroomed around the world.

6 FOUR BIGGEST REASONS THE BEATLES BROKE UP: 1. John Lennon grew interestingly interested in spending time, doing avant-garde art projects, and engaging in peace activism with his wife, Yoko Ono. Ono's presence at virtually all Beatles recording sessions from the beginning of The White Album onward caused great tension within the band, who were not used to having anyone besides themselves and engineering/production staff present at and commenting upon sessions. 2. John, George, and Ringo signed with Allen Klein; Paul never did, going with his father-in-law Lee Eastman and brother-in-law John Eastman instead. This disagreement over who should handle their business affairs, and related disputes as to how those affairs should be handled, sowed enormous discord within the band in 1969 and George Harrison grew increasingly frustrated over the limited space he had available to record his own compositions on Beatles albums, on which John and Paul's songs continued to dominate. Only by recording as a solo artist could he put much of his large backlog of compositions the Beatles hadn't recorded or released on an album. 4. George, and to some extent John and Ringo, were tiring of Paul's tendency to boss the group around musically in the studio. In Paul's defense, it was his drive and perfectionism that were vital to the Beatles completing and efficiently recording as much material as they did in the late 1960s. But the others grew resentful of his attitude, feeling at times like they were treated more like sidemen than bandmates. ESSENTIAL ALBUMS BY OTHER ARTISTS THAT WERE INFLUENTIAL ON, ADMIRED BY, OR INFLUENCED BY THE BEATLES FROM EARLY EARLY 1970: 1. Bob Dylan, Nashville Skyline (Columbia, 1969). A yet far simpler and more countryoriented record than his previous album, John Wesley Harding. George Harrison likely heard some the songs during his visit with Dylan in late 1968 before the album was released in April 1969, as the Beatles ran through one of them, "I Threw It All Away," at their January 1969 Get Back sessions. 2. The Band, The Band (Columbia, 1969). The Band's self-titled second album was their most popular and influential, probably more so on George Harrison than any of the other Beatles, as can be heard on some of the more laidback numbers on All Things Must Pass. It's been speculated that the rustic dress of the Beatles at their final photo session (as seen on the Hey Jude LP cover) might have been inspired by the Band's appearance. John, George, Ringo, and their wives went to the Isle of Wight Festival to see Dylan and the Band perform about a week after that photo session at the end of August Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chronicle (Universal). When asked what recent music he liked during his December 1970 Rolling Stone interview, John Lennon expressed more enthusiasm for Creedence Clearwater Revival than anyone else, stating "I like Creedence Clearwater. They make beautiful Clearwater music they make good

7 rock and roll music." This greatest-hits collection has their most famous songs, which drew from rockabilly, country, and soul for a distinctive roots rock sound. Creedence excited some Beatles comparisons when they dominated the singles charts shortly after the Beatles split, but broke up themselves a few years later. 4. The Radha Krsna Temple, The Radha Krsna Temple (Apple, 1971). Though released in May 1971, the material on this album had been recorded in 1969 and 1970, including the 1969 British hit single "Hare Krsna Mantra." Produced by George Harrison, this album of devotional music by the London headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (on which he also played some instruments, including guitar) allowed him to reflect some of his spiritual interests on an Apple recording. 5. Various Artists, Wall of Sound: The Very Best of Phil Spector (Sony). Although the material on this compilation predates Spector's involvement with the Beatles by a number of years, this has the hits that made him famous, and would have been well known by the group when they were considering having him do production work on Let It Be. Includes hits by the Ronettes, the Crystals, the Righteous Brothers, Ike & Tina Turner, and others. 6. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Déjà Vu (Atlantic, 1970). Released just a month before the Beatles broke up, this (in combination with their Neil Young-less 1969 debut album Crosby, Stills & Nash) briefly found them dubbed as "the American Beatles" in some quarters. They too had several top-notch songwriters and singers with distinct identities, and had done time in several bands (the Byrds, the Hollies, and Buffalo Springfield) quite influenced by the Beatles. Here's another thing they shared with the Beatles: they also broke up (though just for the first time) in 1970, not long after this #1 album was released. 7. The Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed (ABKCO, 1969). The last 1960s album by the Beatles' closest rivals marked the end of an era in another way, as it was the last album recorded with any involvement from original guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, who died in July 1969 (and was one of the few rock stars to guest on a Beatles session, playing saxophone on "You Know My Name"). When the Rolling Stones toured the US in late 1969, to some it signified they'd surpassed the Beatles in significance as a living, working rock band, though they were tainted by the violence at the tour's final concert in Altamont in December. It's sometimes speculated that one of the standout tracks on Let It Bleed, "You Can't Always Get What You Want," may have been influence by another song with an epic length and a long fadeout, "Hey Jude." 8. Various Artists, Woodstock (Cotillion, 1970). The Beatles did not play at the famous August 1969 rock festival, but the soundtrack is a good survey of the rock music that was popular in the era, much of which might not have been possible without the Beatles. 9. Delaney & Bonnie, On Tour with Eric Clapton (Atco, 1970). Recorded in December 1969, during the tour that George Harrison joined as backup guitarist. An expanded four- CD box set of performances from the tour has also been released.

8 10. Badfinger, Come and Get It: The Best of Badfinger (Capitol). Though lighter than and not as sophisticated as the Beatles, Badfinger are roundly acknowledged as both one of the best Beatlesque groups, and the most successful act on Apple other than the Beatles themselves. Both McCartney and Harrison produced some of their early-1970s work. Timeline of Major Events Leading to the Beatles' Breakup August 29, 1966: Last official public concert in Candlestick Park, San Francisco. August 27, 1967: Death of manager Brian Epstein. December 26, 1967: British television premiere of Magical Mystery Tour becomes first major Beatles project to meet with failure. March-April 1968: Group trip to India to study with the Maharishi ends with separate, premature returns to England. May 1968: John Lennon starts serious, public romance with Yoko Ono. August 22, 1968: Ringo Starr quits the Beatles for about ten days during sessions for The White Album. December 11-12, 1968: John performs without the Beatles, fronting a band with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Mitch Mitchell, for the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus film. January 10, 1969: George Harrison quits the Beatles for five days during the Get Back sessions. January 27, 1969: John and Yoko meet manager Allen Klein; a week later, both he and Paul McCartney s soon-to-be brother-in-law and father-in-law, John Eastman and Lee Eastman, are hired by Apple to help sort out the company s affairs. March 12, 1969: Paul marries Linda Eastman. March 20, 1969: John marries Yoko Ono. May 8, 1969: John, George, and Ringo sign management contracts with Allen Klein; Paul never does. May 19, 1969: The Beatles lose their bid to control Northern Songs, publisher of most of their original compositions.

9 July 4, 1969: John (as leader of ad hoc Plastic Ono Band) releases Give Peace a Chance single. August 20, 1969: Final Beatles recording session in which all four members are in attendance. September 13, 1969: John fronts Plastic Ono Band in concert in Toronto. September 20, 1969: John announces he s leaving the Beatles, but is persuaded by the others and Allen Klein not to make the decision public. October 20, 1969: Plastic Ono Band releases single of Cold Turkey, after John s suggestion that it be recorded for a Beatles single was rejected. January 4, 1970: Final Beatles group recording session, with John Lennon absent. February 6, 1970: John s Instant Karma! single released. March 27, 1970: Ringo s Sentimental Journey album released. April 1, 1970: Final Beatles recording session, with Let It Be overdubs overseen by producer Phil Spector. April 10, 1970: Paul officially quits the Beatles. April 17, 1970: Paul s McCartney album released. November 27, 1970: George s All Things Must Pass album released. December 11, 1970: John s Plastic Ono Band album released. December 31, 1970: Paul sues John, George, Ringo, and Apple to dissolve the Beatles partnership.